After
her husband leaves her for another woman, Sadie Johnson feels unattractive.
Unable to face a dreary future of shucking oysters and living with her critical
mother, she dreams of being a businesswoman. But in 1936, opportunities for
women of color in Oyster Island are limited.

An
oysterman at heart, Henry Rockfield would rather sail than run the local branch
of his brother’s oyster company. He’s not happy about belonging to the town
Klan either, but he’ll do anything to keep the peace and help his family.

When
sassy Sadie proves she can run the plant, he can’t resist putting her secretly
in charge so he can return to the sea. But when desire resurrects a tragic
mistake from his past, he learns business and pleasure are a dangerous mix.
When racial conflict hits home, forcing them to choose between love and duty,
will Sadie surrender?

Excerpt

Sadie's Surrender - Copyright 2015 Afton Locke

“Just punish me and get it over with.” Her voice
was so low, he barely heard it. “I’m sure you have better things to do than
hear about my life.”

“Tell me, anyway.”

She looked up, piercing him with her steady
gaze. “Why do you care?”

Why did he? Was the attraction merely physical?
Simply because he ached to unpeel that threadbare cotton dress from her
generous curves and lose himself in her deep-brown skin? To take the pins out
of her hair and slide his fingers through it? To catch her full bottom lip
between his teeth and taste her?

Rockfield
Heavenly Oysters.
He forced himself to read the label on the empty blue can sitting on one of the
cabinets. It reminded him of his mission, which did not include undressing the
staff.

He cleared his throat. “Because everyone
deserves a fair trial.”

“You’re an unusual man, Mr. Rockfield.”

The desire in her eyes echoed his own, shooting
so much blood below his waist, he almost fainted.

“Since you insist on knowing, I’m tired of
shucking oysters. I want a better life for me and Mama.”

“I understand.”

He’d shucked enough oysters to know how
miserable the task was, even for a short period of time. Doing it all day long,
day after day, year after year must be hell. Maybe he should just shut down the
whole damn plant, but people needed the jobs. Honest work was better than a
life of beggary or crime, wasn’t it?

“I wanted to go to business school. Work in a
nice, clean office like you.”

“Cleaner than this, I hope,” he said, pointing
to the messy papers on his desk.

The heat collecting in his groin hovered there
when a small smile flashed across her face.

“So I went to Baltimore yesterday, in my Sunday
best.” She pursed her lips. “And had doors slammed in my face.”

He wasn’t surprised, given the way things were,
but he admired her for being brave enough to try.

“I have a good mind,” she insisted in a strong,
clear voice that sent ripples over his flesh. “I could do well in school and
one of those office jobs.”

“I bet you could. You must be very frustrated.”

Without knowing why, he stood and approached her
chair. He’d simply meant to say he was sorry, but she deserved more than
patronizing words.

She needed help. Someone who gave a damn.

Darn her husband for leaving her for another
woman. If he was still around, she’d be his problem, not Henry’s. Why had he
asked her to show him a porthole into her wretched life? The less he knew about
it, the easier it would be to ignore.

Too late for that. For better or worse, he was
involved in Sadie Johnson’s life. Her struggles. Her problems. His.

The air vibrated with more electricity than a
summer storm on the water. As if she sensed it, she stood and faced him. Before
he knew it, he’d clasped her face with both hands and lowered his mouth to
hers. He’d meant to give comfort but found it instead in the softness of her
parted lips. She yielded to him so fully, he could hardly believe she was the
same woman who’d thrown oysters in the weighman’s face.

Her cheeks, sticky with dried tears, warmed
beneath his fingertips. A low groan ripped from his throat. He knew better than
to lean against her body. If he did, he wouldn’t stop until he was inside her.
With his heart thudding, he pulled away from her.